6 On The Move: New Building, New Energy, Renewed Momentum For Tulsa

Shawn Wittrock, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- When you're proud of something, you want to show it off.

And that's just what we've been doing over the past several days, taking you inside and behind the scenes of our new Griffin Communications Media Center.

But our move to downtown Tulsa's Brady District is about much more than just a fancy building.

"And you walk in, and you feel an energy, an openness. And that's really what we wanted," said owner and CEO of Griffin Communications, David Griffin.

"It's a great environment for our employees. It's creative, it's dynamic," said Houston Hunt, Vice President of Marketing.

The Griffin Communications Media Center is more than just our new home; it's part of something bigger happening in Tulsa.

"Being able to be the largest project in the Brady Arts District has really helped Griffin Communications kind of lead the way in this whole rebirth of the new area," Hunt said.

As Vice President of Marketing for Griffin Communications, Hunt knows the importance of being in the communities we serve.

And that commitment to being "Oklahoma's Own" played a big role in keeping News On 6 in the heart of Tulsa.

"You see the Guthrie Green, you see the Hardesty Arts Center, and all the great things that are going on down here, and we're just ecstatic to be part of that," Hunt said.

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It's a point of pride for owner David Griffin.

"This building is a result of everyone's hard work and success," he said.

He's quick to credit others for the accomplishment, but humbly accepts thanks for turning a dream into reality.

"Thank you and your family for having the faith in us to build a building like this," said Vice President and Chief Operation Officer of Griffin, Rob Krier.

And while it's a state-of-the art, fully high definition broadcast center, this building is also a work "home" to nearly 200 employees.

Designers wanted to make sure it was comfortable.

"There's a family room for those that need it. There's also a wellness pantry," Hunt said.

And there's fun to be had, too. Employees can take a foosball break in the sales department.

Griffin also wanted to "Go Green" in our new facility.

We drilled 32 geothermal wells that use the Earth's constant ground temperature to heat and cool the building.

Motion-activated lights and computer-controlled HVAC systems help cut down on electricity, but we'll see the biggest savings with our LED lighting, which cuts energy usage by about 90 percent.

"It allowed us to reduce the height of the studio, which allowed us to reduce the amount of steel needed to build the building, which reduced the entire footprint," Hunt said.

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But despite the smaller footprint, there's still plenty of space: 57,000 square feet, with room to grow.

Maybe one of biggest advantages of our new broadcast center, though, is that everyone and everything is finally at one place.

That includes Tulsa's only full-time news helicopter, Sky News 6.

"When there is breaking news, we will be able to take off and be there immediately. There's no lag time," Hunt said.

Of course, we know none of this would be possible if it wasn't for you, our loyal viewers who trust News on 6 every day to keep you safe and up-to-date.

One more thing about our new place is just how rare it is.

The man who oversaw the construction says there is only one other (for profit, English-language) TV station under construction right now in the United States.